Object of Desire 0018: Bottega Veneta Belly Intrecciato Napa

This is not necessary an object of desire...bcoz I already have this model from Bottega Veneta *click here to read*
I am in LOVE with this color --> COROT
yeah wat a weird name huh?

such a beautiful color and I don't have anything from this latest hue yet
:))))))))))))))))
Problem is....which other model should I get when I have almost every single module that suits me from Bottega Veneta?
Just bcoz I want to own something in this color. ARGHHHHHH

that reminds me, I haven't been posting about my bags lately....
OK ok ok soon soon..just watch this space :))
old habits die hard

I need to attend an AA session soon *or BA*
Hello my name is Monkey and I am a Bagaholic >.< 

2013 Resolutions: Basic Sponge Cake

Sponge Cake.....:))))))))))
who doesn't like sponge cakes?? It should be simple and easy to bake right?
JS alwiz boast about his mother's aka HRH aka Her Royal Highness's sponge cake -_- so Monkey took up the challenge and did some reading about it. There's so many different types of sponge cake...an US and a UK one could be different...well let's not even go anywhere near to Italian and French sponge cake...

GAH!!! why so complicated?
Too much of analysis leads to brain paralysis...
soon Monkey's paralyzed brain just did the simplest thing......went to my book racks and retrieved past copies of my favourite gourmet magazine....and found a basic sponge cake recipe :))))))))

Rule number 1 *do I still need to mention it everytime?* is to preheat your oven to 180*C
then brush your pans with melted butter and dust them with flour. Line the base with baking paper.


Melt 80gm of butter and the most important rule here for sponge cake is not to use hot nor warm butter. You need to melt them in advance and leave it to cool. Else your sponge cake will be lumpy. So if possible this should be the first step.

Measure 240gm of Plain Flour and 3x sift it
It says that the flour has to be so fine....u need to sift it not one not two but freaking 3 times...
but I am happy to have all these gadgets and utensils for lazy ppl like me....dunk into the sifter, press the lever.....*sift sift sift*.....then transfer the sifted flour back to the lazy sifter and *sift sift sift*
again and again until I was yawning.......

Crack 8 eggs directly into your whisking bowl...
see I am freaking lazy so utilizing the most minimum tools and utensils is part of my goals here.

Add 220gm of caster sugar into the whisking bowl and scrap out the beans outta the Vanilla. I have mastered the art of scraping hahahaha...been using a lot of vanilla lately and JS's inventory of Madagascar Vanilla is getting lesser by the weeks in his pantry. He has yet to do a stock count :D
*oopsss*

Use your KitchenAid to whisk the mixture of eggs, sugar and vanilla beans for a few minutes until it turns pale, thick and tripled in volume like the above.
Easy eh??? :))))))))

Slowly sift in your plain flour into this mixture in batches. You want to introduce a lot of air into your cake mixture so that it will be light and fluffy so do everything with patience and calmness....no shortcut no hurry and no laziness to be executed here. Even if you can't add in air nor aerate your cake mixture, at least don't destroy the aeration created by your KitchenAid at the beginning.

Just slowly.....more yawns~~~~~~


Then bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until light golden....
the centre should springs back when u press it lightly....
I was thinking how am I gonna stick my fingers into the oven to test if my cakes are ready or not...

No no no......I'm not gonna take the risk....so it's based on "feel"

Once these babies popped outta the oven, Monkey removed them outta the spring can, transferred them to the wire rack immediately, peeled off the baking sheets at the bottom, and inverted it back to the original position - top and bottom.

Eating a basic sponge cake would be so boring....
so I deviated >.< heeeeeeeeeeeee heeeeeeeeee

Melt about 150gm dark chocolates.....then dunk in 250ml pouring cream and the melted chocolate...whisk them together. If you like u an add in about 20ml of liquer....Monkey added in Cognac...wuahahahahaha. U just need to whisk them till it soft peaks. Finally add in 70gm of raspberry and keep this mixture in the fridge until it's firm.

Then assemble your cake once it has cool down
It looked so ugly -_-"
JS stared at it in horror O.O"

NVM I can do better next time in cake decorating and assembly.
Can anyone share with me recipe of cakes that need not decorating, easy to make, less washing to do, and looked pretty instantly??? I know.....drive out to WonderMilk and buy a cake!!!!! it probably cost less :P

Your sponge cake should be really really light and fluffy
the raspberry gives it the occasional texture and bite as u sink ur teeth into your piece of cake

 

JS had a slice and concurred his mother's sponge cake is still the best in the world
Monkey -_-"
when he finally retrieved HRH's recipe from her Recipe Bank which was locked in her vault......Monkey found out her's is a Genoise Sponge Cake.
Hey Mr. JS!!!! it's a different sponge cake ok!!!!
Genoise Sponge Cake involves hell lot of work....with bain marie...sabayon etc etc etc

This one was a Victoria Sponge, named of the Queen Victoria.
Very "Atas" one OK???

but nvm....I will take up your challenge again to attempt your mother's Genoise Sponge Cake.
Watch this space u ppl!!! grrrRRRrrrrrr

For a full and professional recipe of this Basic Sponge Cake, *click here*

Wine dinner with wine kakis

Amuse Bouche of akagai on bamboo piths

Wine dinner with this gang is alwiz serious
very very serious and the wine preparations were arranged weeks in advance
not to mention the Chef was also preparing in advance hahahaha
Chef Takashi requested for the wine list so all his creation will match perfectly

the usual modus operandi is.....the boys will gather their wines and arrange them on the sideboard once they've arrived...then there will be a small discussion to start which bottle to be followed by which.....even the Sommelier has got no say...-_-"

Monkey as a beginner alwiz sweat -_-"
die...I didn't do my homework again~~~~~~ never read up my wine notes


Starter of Carrot Glacee with Sea Urchin
it was a very refreshing dish to tantalize our palate
and we already started off with 2 bottles of champagnes


Beignet of Akkeshi Oyster with Oscietra

slightly fried oysters freshly flown in from Hokkaido
Akkeshi is on the eastern side of Hokkaido

the batter was light and crispy, it was intended to be this way to protect the oysters during the process of frying. Hence maintaining the sweetness and juicyness of these oysters :))))
topped with some Oscietra caviar - a highly prized and expensive caviar but the fish is almost extinct now...so what ppl does now are not eating less of it but farming the sturgeon fish. I suppose in life whenever there's a will there's a way...to everything...Agree???


Buckwheat noodle with Perigord truffles, very very generous shavings of truffles

the truffle was named after the region of Perigord in France
January is the best month to consume because they smell the best with the highest perfume nose
but Monkey was searching for her noodles....

yayyy!!!! i found my noodles, laden with thick mushroom sauce and shaved aged parmesan
yes I know it's aged :))))))))


Dr. Epicurian brought this really old and definitely older than most of us here - Haut Brion
My last bottle was with J&J in Hong Kong recently
old wines needed to be prepared in advance and opened at certain time for it to "breathe"
either breathing from its decanter, its own bottle or from your own glass

Notsuke scallop with nanohana
another produce from Hokkaido :)))))))))
well when the chef is Japanese you can be rest assured all the ingredients were sourced directly from the very best of its region.

It's also the season for nanohana - rapeseed flowers
errr well it's supposed to be yellow
I lurve it for its texture and sweetness. You can have this at most japanese restaurants now.


Roasted Hokaku with Pan jus

nobody could explain to us what fish this was except Tony-San who was with us...he said this is a very ugly shaped fish but the texture was extremely delicate and silky-liked. I lurve it really much :)))


Slow cooked Chapon with mushrooms
I was looking around for mushrooms but saw chicken gizzard and liver
JS was in horror but he got a different dish - venison tenderloin -_-"

the parcel was wrapped with foie gras which melts in ur mouth and I got the chicken wing part!!!!
woohoooo with its crispy skin
Chapon is a castrated chicken >.< from France

I was waiting for this :))))
Kobe Beef with Jus
in fact everyone was waiting for this to pair with the fantastic red wines

John C the Si Fu of wines in HK, Chef Takashi and special guest Jonathan

we had a very good spectrum that evening
2 champagnes - with one Artisan maker
1 white burgundy
2 red burgundy - my fav was the bottle of Musigny, wine of the nite :)))
1 Italian red 1994 - the king of italian red
1 Barolo 1988 - another italian
1 Spanish 1985 - Vega Sicilia, this was really a treat :)))
1 Japanese red wine!!!!!! - this was another RARE treat from Tony-san
1 1966 Haut Brion

so a total of 10 bottles for 8 person

a close up shot of all the rare and beautiful bottles :)))))))
was really lucky to have this opportunity :))))

finally the 11th bottle....a bottle of Riesling for dessert
hmmm wat was I doing in 1983 then?

Chestnut Creme brulee
yup it's a deconstructed creme brulee :))
with nutty bites of chestnuts innit
served with caramel ice creams....oh heaven~~~~

 

Dato V, Chef Takashi, John C, Jonathan, Dr. Epicurian, JS, Monkey, Tony-San and Viola
:))))))))))))
Thank you my dearie Wine Kakis!!!!

Looking forward to our next gathering :)))))

Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar

Micasa All Suite Hotel,
368-B, Jalan Tun Razak,
50400 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603 2179 8082

 www.cilantrokl.com.my